The number of people applying to join the State's Defence Forces is set to double this year as the image of the Army, Navy and Air Corps has improved, a study predicted today.
The survey also found that the number of applications for cadetships jumped by more than 40 per cent this year.
The study by Lansdowne Research group found that the number of people who consider the forces to be professional rose from 55 per cent in February - just as the new campaign started - to 63 per cent at the end of April.
There was a rise from 42 per cent to 53 per cent in the number thinking the forces were "something to be proud of", while the number of people who considered the services to be modern jumped from 34 per cent to 47 per cent.
The study also found that 42 per cent of people thought the armed forces were a "good place to pursue a career", up 8 per cent.
With the recruitment drive set to continue for another 18 months a total of 1,804 applications were received for enlistment in the first five months of 2002. Just 1,913 applications were received in 2001.
The shift in attitudes followed a parade through the streets of Dublin in February by Irish peace keeping troops on their homecoming from Lebanon.
Along with a television advertising campaign, large conventional training exercises have been held recently around the State and 40 new armoured personnel carriers were bought by the force.
The recruitment campaign will run until the end of next year and focus on peace keeping missions in Kosovo and East Timor. Adverts for the Reserve Defence Forces will be aired in September.
Lansdowne Research questioned 1,400 people over 15 years of age for the study.
PA